Our Policy Positions
Each year, the American Heart Association (AHA) produces scientific statements and guidelines based on expert consensus in order to promote our mission to be a relentless force for longer, healthier lives. Our advocacy department works with leading experts around the world to translate these science-based documents into policy statements and policy advocacy materials that position the AHA on issues that will impact cardiovascular health and mortality, guide our advocacy work at all levels of government, allow us to support the important work of others, and inform policy makers, practitioners, health care professionals, researchers, the media and the public
To be added to the Policy Research email database and to stay up-to-date on our latest policy positions, please email [email protected].
Policy Positions
Access to Care
AHA's 2020 Statement of Principles for Adequate, Accessible and Affordable Healthcare (LINK)
Principles for Health Care Reform - Executive Summary (PDF)
Balance Billing Principles (PDF)
American Heart Association's Call to Action for Payment and Delivery System Reform (LINK)
Government Continues to Have an Important Role in Promoting Cardiovascular Health (LINK)
Payment for Quality Guiding Principles and Recommendations (LINK)
Community Health
The Importance of Community Health Workers for CVD Prevention and Treatment (July 2018) (PDF)
Maternal Health
Resources
Fact Sheets
Cardiovascular Disease: Women's No. 1 Health Threat (PDF)
Cardiovascular Disease and Maternal Health (PDF)
Medicaid and CVD (PDF)(link opens in new window)
Ensuring Access to Quality Care Network Adequacy (PDF)(link opens in new window)
The Uninsured with CVD and Stroke (PDF)(link opens in new window)
Policy At-A-Glance
Health Reimbursement Arrangements (PDF)
Reports
Access to Care Impact Statement 2023 (PDF)
Additional Resources
American Heart Association's 2020 Health Care Reform Principles (PDF)(link opens in new window)
Coalition Consensus Health Care Reform Principles (PDF)(link opens in new window)
See also: Value in Healthcare
Policy Positions
Access to Healthy Food
Food Sustainability and Farm Bill (PDF)
Expanding Access to Healthy Food for Medicaid Beneficiaries (PDF)
Farm Bill Policy and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (2017) (PDF)
Environmental Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals & the Impact on Obesity and CVD (PDF)
Nutrition
Food Package and Retail Shelf Icon System (PDF)
Population Approaches to Improve Diet, Physical Activity and Smoking Habits (LINK)
Strengthening US Food Policies and Programs to Promote Equity in Nutrition Security (LINK)
Sugary Beverages & Healthy Hydration
Historical Analysis: Structural Racism and Sugary Drinks (PDF)
Historical Analysis: Structural Racism and Water Access (PDF)
Increasing Access to Safe Drinking Water Across Different Settings (PDF)
Sugar-sweetened Beverage Taxation (PDF)
AHA Tiered Tax Policy in Brief (PDF)
SSB Tax Report Appendices A-C (PDF)
Tiered Sugary Drink Tax Revenue Calculations Brief (PDF)
Warning Labels on Sugary Drinks (PDF)
Sodium Reduction
Reducing Sodium Intake in Children: A Public Health Investment (LINK)
Reduction of Sodium in Diets and in the Food Supply (LINK)
Resources
Fact Sheets
Decreasing Sugary Drink Consumption (PDF)
Food Marketing and Advertising to Children (PDF)
Protecting Benefits and Improving Diet Quality in the Farm Bill (PDF)
Reducing Sodium in the U.S. Diet (PDF)
Reducing Sodium in the Diet of U.S. Children (PDF)
Policy At-A-Glance
Childhood Nutrition Reauthorization (PDF)
Food Marketing and Advertising to Children (PDF)
Healthier Food Options for Public Places (PDF)
Sugary Drink Warning Labels (PDF)
Infographics
Lowering Sodium in School Meals: INFOGRAPHIC (PDF)
Strategic Vision
Advocacy Strategic Vision for Nutrition Policy: 2023-2030 (PDF)
Reports
Policy Positions
Policy Positions
Coronary Artery Calcium Screening (PDF)
Principles for Comparative Effectiveness Research (LINK)
Pre-Participation Screening of Young Competitive Athletes (PDF)
Genetic Counseling
Policy Positions
CPR & AED Training
Basic Life Support Training for Healthcare Providers Guidance (PDF)
Naloxone in CPR/AED Training and Public Access to Defibrillation (PDF)
Reducing Barriers for Implementation of Bystander Initiated CPR (LINK)
Lay Rescuer Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Programs: Lessons Learned (LINK)
Response to Cardiac Arrest and Selected Life Threatening Emergencies (LINK)
CPR & AED in Schools
Cardiac Emergency Response Planning for Schools (PDF)
Telecommunicator CPR (T-CPR)
Policy Positions
Telehealth
Principles for Health Information Collection, Sharing, and Use (LINK)
Update to Telehealth Principles (PDF)
Expanding Access to Care Through Telehealth (PDF)
Recommendations for the Implementation of Telehealth in Cardiovascular and Stroke Care (LINK)
Telestroke: Improving Access to Quality Stroke Care (PDF)
Recommendations for the Implementation of Telemedicine within Stroke Systems of Care (LINK)
Digital Health
Remote Patient Monitoring (PDF)
Resources
Policy Positions
Forecasting
Forecasting the Future of Cardiovascular Disease in the United States (LINK)
Forecasting the Impact of Heart Failure in the United States (LINK)
Forecasting the Future of Stroke in the United States (LINK)
Projected Costs of Informal Caregiving for CVD 2015 to 2035 (LINK)
Resources
Policy Positions
Nutrition in Schools
Increasing Access to Safe Drinking Water in Schools and Communities (PDF)
Food Marketing and Advertising to Children in Schools (PDF)
Physical Activity in Schools
Pre-Participation Screening of Young Competitive Athletes (PDF)
Treatment of Childhood Obesity in the Healthcare Environment (PDF)
Promoting Physical Activity Through School Facilities (LINK)
Healthy Childhood
Resources
Food Marketing and Advertising to Children (PDF)
Nutrition Standards and School Meals (PDF)
Reducing Sodium in the Diet of U.S. Children (PDF)
Teaching America's Kids A Healthy Lifestyle: Physical Education in Public Schools (PDF)
Policy At-A-Glance
Access to Safe Drinking Water (PDF)
Healthy Early Care and Education Environment (PDF)
Physical Education in Schools (PDF)
Infographics
Lowering Sodium in School Meal (PDF)
Sodium in School Meals: Myths and Facts (PDF)(link opens in new window)
Policy Positions
Workplace Wellness
Food and Beverage in the Workplace
Food and Beverage Environment in the Workplace (LINK)
Tobacco and Nicotine in the Workplace
Employer Sponsored Wellness Programs
The Role of Worksite Health Screening (LINK)
Guidance for a Reasonably Designed Employer Sponsored Wellness Program (LINK)
Outcome-based Incentives for Worksite Wellness Programs (LINK)
Worksite Wellness Programs for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention (LINK)
Resources
Policy Positions
Access to Medication
Principles on the Accessibility and Affordability of Drugs and Biologics (LINK)
The Impact of Drug Shortages on Patients with Cardiovascular Disease (LINK)
Statement on Drug Formularies (PDF)
Medication Adherence
Medication Adherence: Importance, issues and policy (LINK)
Medication Adherence Executive Summary (PDF)
Resources
Fact Sheets
A Tough Pill to Swallow: Medication Adherence and Cardiovascular Disease (PDF)
Resources
Fact Sheets
Policy At-A-Glance
Preventing Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) in Hospitalized Patients (PDF)
Action Plans
Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) National Action Plan (LINK)
Policy Positions
Physical Activity
National Physical Activity Plan A Call to Action by the AHA (LINK)
Physical Activity Guidelines Rationale for Regular Updates (PDF)
Physical Activity for Youth
Increasing and Improving Physical Education and Physical Activity in Schools (PDF)
Obesity Prevention and Health Promotion Child Care Settings (PDF)
Promoting Physical Activity Through School Facilities (LINK)
Active Transportation
Emerging Active Transportation Policies That Promote Equitable, Safe Mobility (PDF)
Resources
Fact Sheets
Active Transportation: Creating Spaces to Promote Active Living (PDF)
Physical Education in Public Schools (PDF)
Policy At A Glance
Physical Education in Schools (PDF)
Resources
Policy Positions
Civic Engagement
Civic Engagement and Population Health (PDF)
Nonprofit Advocacy
American Heart Association and Nonprofit Advocacy: Past, Present and Future (LINK)
Policy Implementation
Public Health Interventions
Positioning on COVID-19 Vaccine (PDF)
Recommendations for Cardiovascular Health and Disease Surveillance for 2030 and Beyond (LINK)
State CV Health Programs: A Guide to Core Infrastructure, Activities, and Resources (PDF)
Healthy Lifestyle Interventions to Combat Noncommunicable Disease (LINK)
Population Approaches to Improve Diet, Physical Activity and Smoking Habits (LINK)
The Value of Primordial and Primary Prevention for CVD (LINK)
AHA Principles for Comparative Effectiveness Research (LINK)
Non-Financial Incentives for Quality (LINK)
Resources
Fact Sheets
Cardiovascular Surveillance (PDF)
Policy At-A-Glance
Public Health Infrastructure (PDF)
Reports
Cardiovascular Disease A Costly Burden for America Projections (PDF)
Projections of Cardiovascular Disease Prevalence and Costs (PDF)
State Morbidity and Mortality Fact Sheets (LINK)
See Also: Forecasting the Future; Heart Disease and Stroke Research
Policy Positions
Addressing Structural Racism
Addressing Structural Racism Through Public Policy Advocacy (LINK)
Addressing Structural Racism Through Public Policy - Executive Summary (PDF)
Adverse Childhood Experiences
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) Policy Statement (PDF)
Screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences and Referral Pathways (PDF)
Housing and Cardiovascular Health
Healthy Neighborhoods and Access (PDF)
Housing Access Affordability and Discrimination (PDF)
Housing and Cardiovascular Health (PDF)
Rural Health
Executive Summary: Call to Action: Rural Health (PDF)
Rural Health Policy Guidance (PDF)
Paid Family and Medical Leave
Paid Family and Medical Leave (PDF)
Resources
Addressing Structural Racism Through Public Policy Advocacy
Principles for Addressing Structural Racism Through Public Policy Advocacy (PDF)
Suggested Policy Levers to Address the Role of Structural Racism Through Public Policy (PDF)
Policy Positions
Comprehensive Stroke Centers: A Consensus Statement from the Brain Attack Coalition (LINK)
Forecasting the Future of Stroke in the United States (LINK)
What the Million Hearts Initiative Means for Stroke (LINK)
Risk Adjustment for Stroke Outcome Measures to Ensure Quality of Care (LINK)
Stroke Systems of Care
Recommendations for the Establishment of Stroke Systems of Care - a 2019 Update (LINK)
Establishment of Stroke Systems of Care (LINK)
Interactions Within Stroke Systems of Care (LINK)
Implementation Strategies for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) within Stroke Systems of Care (LINK)
Telehealth
Implementation of Telemedicine within Stroke Systems of Care (LINK)
Recommendations for the Implementation of Telehealth in Cardiovascular and Stroke Care (LINK)
Resources
Fact Sheets
Get With the Guidelines Stroke Registry (PDF)
Laying the Cornerstones for Systems of Care: Primary Stroke Centers (PDF)
Telestroke: Connecting Patients to Quality Treatment (PDF)
Policy At-A-Glance
Toolkits
Policy Positions
Tobacco Endgame
Tobacco Surcharge: Updated Policy Statement (PDF)
Tobacco Retail Strategies Executive Summary (PDF)
Tobacco Retail Licensure Environmental Scan Analysis of 50 United States (PDF)
New and Emerging Tobacco Products and the Nicotine Endgame (LINK)
The 50th Anniversary of the US Surgeon Generals Report on Tobacco (LINK)
The Impact of Smokeless Tobacco Products on Cardiovascular Diseases (LINK)
Eliminating the Sale of Tobacco Products in Pharmacies (PDF)
E-Cigarettes
E-Cigarettes: A Policy Statement from the American Heart Association (LINK)
Clean Air
Clean Indoor Air Laws and the Impact on Cardiovascular Disease (PDF)
Smoke-Free Policies in Multi-Unit Housing (PDF)
Guidance to Reduce the Cardiovascular Burden of Ambient Air Pollutants (LINK)
Cannabis
Resources
Higher Prices for Better Health Raising Tobacco Excise Taxes (PDF)
Structural Racism and Tobacco (PDF)
Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Programs (PDF)
Comprehensive Coverage of Tobacco Cessation Services in Public and Private Health Insurance (PDF)
Tobacco Retail Licensure (PDF)
Policy At-A-Glance
Comprehensive Tobacco Cessation Programs(PDF)
Eliminating Tobacco Flavors (PDF)
Reports
AHA's Progress Toward Achieving the Tobacco and Nicotine Endgame (PDF)
Policy Positions
AHA Principles for Comparative Effectiveness Research (LINK)
Non-Financial Incentives for Quality (LINK)
Improving Heart Health Through Value-Based Payment
Value-Based Care Delivery and Payment Issue Brief (PDF)
Improving Heart Health Through Value-Based Payment (PDF)
Value in Healthcare Initiative
Shaping Value-Based Payment Policy: Improving Heart Health Through Value-Based Payment (LINK)
Value in Healthcare Initiative: Summary and Key Recommendations (LINK)
Cardiovascular Patient Perspectives on Value in the Healthcare Experience (LINK)
Advancing Value-Based Cardiovascular Care (LINK)
Advancing Value-Based Models for Heart Failure (LINK)
AHA’s Call to Action for Payment and Delivery System Reform (LINK)
Resources